Assiono r to the



July 8 r.

' S. S. JACKSON FEELER MOTION FOR LOOMS 7 Filed Oct. 15 1923 2 Sheets-Shut 2 Patented July 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT errlcs.f

SIMEON S. JACKSON, 0]? HYDE PARK, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNO'R TO THE STAFFORD COMPANY, OF READVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

nnnnnn MOTION non. LOOMS.

Application filed October 15, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SiMnoN S. J AOKSON, a sub ect of Great Brltain, residing at Hyde Park, Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State stalling complete exhaustion of the supply of weft or filling contained in the working shuttle upon the lay-beam of a loom. These mechanisms in general are contrived to call or indicate, or initiate, as it is variously termed, a change in the operation of the loom, upon detecting that the progressive depletion of the said supply has reached a stage decided upon as a minimum. This change involves in some cases automatic replenishing of the working supply of the weft or filling without stoppage of the loom; in others it involves stoppage of the 100111, with automatic replenishment during the stoppage, followed by automatic restarting of the loom.

The invention relates more especially to feeler mechanisms of the sideslipping class. A feeler mechanism of this class has a feelermember which enters the shuttle during a feeling action to contact with the wound mass of filling therein, this member being designed to slip or swing lengthwise of the shuttle while in contact with the shuttle-contents. It is held from such movement by engagement with the wound mass within the shuttle so long as an adequate supply of weft or filling for continued weaving remains, but slips or swings sidewise, that is, lengthwise of the shuttle, in the absence of a sufficient supply, and through the change-calling mechanism of the loom calls the change aforesaid.

The said change-calling mechanism in practice usually includes a latch, designed to be engaged by the loom weft-hammer for the actuation of the said mechanism to bring about a change, but normally free from being engaged thereby. Through controller-means intermediate the feelermember and the latch,

Serial No. 668,617.

the feeler-member governs the latchso as to bring about engagement of the latch by the weft-hammer when the feeling action detects a stage of depletion of the shuttle-contained filling-mass necessitating replenishment.

One object ofthe invention is to provide improved latch-controller devices, operatively combined with a feeler-member so as to enable the latch to be governed by the latter.

A second object of the invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of the side-slipping class of extremely simple and inexpensive construction, light and easy in its action, and easily kept in practical working condition. The latch-controlling means of the present invention has been designed as an improvement upon the levers, rockers, etc., heretofore employed. Such means comprises a simple pin, bolt, or plunger, hereinafter termed a bolt, slidable endwise in a guide therefor and controlling the latch vertically, and a wire through which the feeler-member is opera tively combined with the latch so that when the feeler-member moves laterally in indicating deficiency of weft or filling .in the loomshuttle the bolt is moved endwise by means of the wire connection, which brings about movement of the latch vertically into position to be engaged by the loom weft-hammer or gooseneck. The improved feeler mechanism in general comprises a side-slipping feeler-member mounted with capacity to reciprocate in a fore-and-aft direction in the feelingaction, and to swing transversely for indicating purposes when not held from, doing so by a sufiiciency of weft or filling within the loom-shuttle, and having the wire connection aforesaid connected therewith; and a spring which acts with a tendency to move the bolt endwise into the position which CO1? responds with the non-engaging position of the latch, as well as to swing the feelermember reversely into its normal presentation position, such being the normal positions of the bolt and the feeler-lnember. Vvhen the feeler-member slips on the shuttle-con reason of such engagement actuates the change-calling mechanism to call the change.

Feeler mechanism in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which latter,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the said mechanism, including the adjacent shuttle-box of a loom-lay, and a latch forming an element of change-calling mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a front view, partly sectional, of parts shown in Fig. 1, omitting the lay, shuttie-box, and shuttle.

The feeler-device, proper, as shown in the accompanying drawings, resembles certain prior feeler-devices of the same class in its general features of construction and in its general mode of operation. The feelei-- member 1 is mounted by means of a vertical pivot 2, around which it is capable of swing ing transversely, upon a carrier-plunger 3 that is movable in a fore-and-aft direction within rear and front guides at and 5 in connection with a feeler-stand 6. The feeler-stand 6 is bolted to a supporting stand 7 which in turn is bolted to a bracket 8 projecting from a loom-frame 9 at one end of loom breast-frame 10. A coil-spring 11, surrounding the forwardlyextending stem of plunger 8, and compressed between front guide 5 and a shoulder 81 of the plunger, acts expansively to hold the plunger and feeler-member normally rearward, with lateral stop-projections 82, 32, of the plunger against the front end of the rear guide at, but yields to permit forward movement of the plunger and feeler-member when the contents of the shuttle 12 in the adjacent shuttle-box of lay 13 are pressed against the acting portion 141 of the feeler-tip 1-1 in a. feeling action as the lay swings forward; and the said spring returns the plunger and feeler-member rearward as the lay swings backward. The acting portion 141 of tip 14 is ofiset laterally with relation to the pivot 2, so that pressure of the shuttlecontents against the said acting portion in a feeling action may tend to swing the fee1er-member around the pivot 2; and the said acting portion is serrated for the purposes of securing effective holding engagement with the filling-mass within the shuttle, 1n order that through such engagement the feeler-member may be held from swinging about the pivot in consequence of such pressure, so long as sufficient filling 121 remains upon the fillingcarrier 122 within the shuttle to prevent such acting portion from slipping along the filling-carrier in a feeling action. At each feeling action while such sufiiciency continues, the feeler-member and carrier-plunger will be pushed forward in unison by the pressure of the shuttle-contents against the acting portion 141 of the feeler-tip, without turning movement of the feeler-member around pivot 2. hen, however, the progressive depletion of the shuttle-contained filling mass reduces the thickness of wound filling surrounding the barrel of the filling-carrier to an extent rendering the same incapable of preventing the feeler-tip from slipping lengthwise of the filling-carrier, the forward pressure of the shuttle-contents against the feeler-tip in a feeling action will have the effect of swinging or rotating the feeler-member about pivot 2. As thus far referred to and described the features and mode of operation of the feeler-device proper are in general similar to those of certain prior feeler-devices of the same class. The swinging or rotating movement of the feelermember is made effective, as in prior feeler mechanisms, to cause the latch 16 of the change-calling mechanism to become engaged by the shoulder 201 of the loom wefthammer or gooseneck 20. The said latch 16, as usual, is connected by pivot 17 to the upper portion of arm 18 (only a fragment of which is shown in Fig. 1), forming an element of the change-calling mechanism, the latter being organized, etc., so that when the latch and the arm 18 are pushed for ward by the action of the weft-hammer or gooseneck the required change is brought about.

In the case of the present invention, the swinging or rotating movement of the feeler-member is made effective to impart endwise movement to a controller-bolt 15 constituting an important feature of the invention. The said controller-bolt extends transversely of the loom within a bore or guideway in a stand 19 located adjacent the position of the latch. It is utilized to control the position of the latch vertically, and thereby the time of its engagement and actuation by the shoulder 201 of weft-hammer r gooseneck 20. In the movement of the bolt endwise in one direction it brings about the positioning of the latch vertically so as to clear the path of shoulder 201, and the latch remains clear so long as the bolt occupies such position; movement of the bolt in the pposite direction endwise brings about a positioning of the latch in the path of said shoulder. Herein, a bent wire finger 161 projecting from latch 16 rests upon the controller-bolt when the lat-- ter occupies one extreme endwise position thereof, and thereby the latch is supported in an elevated oosition, out of the path of shoulder 201 of the loom weft-hammer 20. lVhen the controller-bolt is in its opposite position endwise, withdrawn relative to the finger 161, the latch is free to occupy a lowered position. A wire 29 serving to connect the feeler-member and controller-bolt with each other is engaged at one end there of with an arm of the feeler-member extending forward of the pivot 2, and at the other end thereof with the outer end of the controller-bolt. A series of holes in the said arm diiferent distances from pivot 2, shown in Fig. 1, enables the amplitude of the movement imparted to the bolt by swinging movement of the feeler-member to be varied by shifting the corresponding end of the wire t the required hole. A series of holes in the bolt, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, enables the connection between the wire and the bolt to be varied, by shifting the inner end of the wire from one hole to the other, according as supporting-stand 7 is adjusted inward or outward to vary the position of the feeler-member inward or outward, as permitted by the slot 71 in such stand occupied by the bolt 72 which fastens such stand to the bracket 8. This adjustment of the supporting-stand 7 enables the feeler-member to be positioned properly for coaction with the required por tion of the length of the filling-mass and filling-carrier within the shuttle 12. The engagement of the downturned inner end of the wire 29 in one of the holes in the bolt 15 may be sufliciently loose to serve as a hinge-connection, rendering the connection between the feeler-member and the bolt capable of yielding in a horizontal direction to accommodate the fore-and aft movements of the feeler-member. The resiliency of the wire 29 may be sufiicient to confer the required capacity for'yielding, in the absence of hinging.

A contracting spiral spring 21, Fig. 1, engaged at one endwith a collar 22 which is fixed by a clamping screw 23 on wire 29 and at the other end with a screw 24 projecting from stand 19, operates to keep the wire 29 and controlling bolt 15 inward, with the controlling bolt in place under the wire finger 161 to support the latch 16 elevated relative to the weft-hammer, and als to keep the feeler-member in proper presentation position, the position of the controlling bolt and feelermember due to the action of the said spring being determined by means of a stopz-pin 209 occupying a hole in the said bolt with its ends projecting so as to engage with the outer end of stand 19.

The inner end of controlling bolt 15 is beveled as shown in Fig. 2 to enable such end to pass readily inward under the forwardly extending lower portion of such finger in case the latch and finger should occupy their lowered position when inward movement of the controlling bolt takes place. This may occur when the latch has dropped as a result of withdrawal of the controlling bolt in case of the feeler-member being swung or rotated around pivot 2 accidentally, or manually for any reason. The rounded bend at the junction of the said forwardly extending lower portion of the finger with the vertical portion of the finger enables the finger to ride easily up upon the top of the controlling bolt, in case of encountering the latter as the latch moves rearward in unison with the weft-hammer after having been forced forward by the weft-hammer in calling a change.

mat is claimed as the invention is,

1. In mechanism comprising a latch connected with change-calling mechanism of a loom, a weft-hammer adapted to engage said latch to actuate thereby said mechanism int performance of its functions, and a side-slipping feeler-member mounted with capacity to reciprocate in a fore-and-aft direction in a feeling action as well as to swing sidewise for indicating purposes, the combination with the said elements of boltguiding means, and a sliding bolt which controls the position of the latch vertically, and which through sidewise slipping movement of the feeler-member is moved endwise relative to said guiding means, with consequent vertical movement of the latch into position to be engaged and actuated by the weft-hammer.

2. The combination with a latch connected with change-calling mechanism, of a loom, a weft-hammer adapted to engage said latch to actuate thereby said mechanism into performance of its functiom'and a side-slipping feeler-member mounted with capacity to reciprocate in a fore-and -aft direction in a feeling action, and to swing transversely for indicating purposes, of bolt-guiding means an endwise movable bolt which determines the position of said latch vertically, and a wire engaged at one end with said feeler-member and at the other end with said bolt, whereby swinging movement of the feeler-member is accompanied by endwise movement of the bolt relative to said grinding means and consequent vertical. movement of the latch into the path of the weft-hammer. I

3. The combination with alatc'h connected with change-calling mechanism of a loom, a weft-hammer adapted to engage said latch toactuate thereby said mechanism into performance of its functions, and a side-slipping feeler-member mounted with capacity to reciprocate ina fore-and-aft direction in a feeling action, and to swing transversely for indicating purposes, of bolt-guiding means an endwise movable bolt which determines the position of said latch vertically, a connecting wire engaged at one end with said feeler-member and, at the other end with said bolt, whereby swinging movement of the feeler-member is accompanied by end wise movement of the bolt relative to said guiding means and consequent vertical movement of the latch into the path of the weft-hammer, and a spring which holds the feeler-member sidewise and the bolt endwise in their normal positions.

4. The combination with a latch connected with change-calling mechanism of a loom, a Wefthammer adapted to engage said latch to actuate thereby said mechanism into performance of its functions, and a feeler1nember, of a fixedly positioned bolt-guide an endwise movable bolt which controls the position of the latch vertically, a wire through which said feeler-member moves the bolt endwise relative to the bolt-guide to bring about movement of the latch vertically into position to be engaged and actuated by the weft-hammer, and a spring by which the bolt and feeler-n'iember are actuated reversely into their normal positions and maintained in such positions.

5. In mechanism comprising a latch connected with Change-calling mechanism of a loom, a Weft-hammer adapted to engage said latch to actuate thereby said mechanism into performance of its functions, and a sideslipping feeleronember normally held from SlCl6WlS6 movement in a feeling action through engagement of the shuttle-contained filling therewith, the combination with the said elements of bolt-guiding means, a sliding bolt controlling the position of the latch vertically, shaped to provide through its endwise sliding movement for shift of the latch vertically, and moved endwise relative to the said guiding means, through sidewise movement of the feeler-member. to bring about engagement of the latch by the weft-- hammer.

6. In mechanism comprising latch con nected with change-calling mechanism of a loom. a "weft hammer adapted to engage said latch to actuate thereby said mechanism into performance of its functions, and a filling feeler, the combination with the said elements of a stationary bolt-guide, and a bolt slidably mounted in conn-ction with said bolt-guide, whereby the position of the latch vertically is controlled movable endwise relative to the said bolt-guide, said bolt con trolled as to its position endwise by the tilling feeler.

7. In mechanism comprising a latch connected with change-calling mechanism of a loom, a weft-hammer adapted to engage said latch to actuate thereby said mechanism into performance of its functions, and a sideslipping feeler-member mounted with capacity to reciprocate in a fore-and-aft direction in a feeling action as well as to swing sidewise for indicating purposes, the combination with the said elements of a stationary bolt-guide, a sliding bolt which controls the position of the latch vertically and which through sidewise slipping movement of the feeler-member is moved endwise relative to the bolt-guide, with consequent vertical movement of the latch into position to be engaged and actuated by the weft-hammer, and connecting means between the feelermember and the bolt flexible horizontally in accordance with the fore-and-aft movements of the tt'eeler-member.

S. In mechanism comprising a latch connected with change-calling mechanism of a loom, a weft-hammer adapted to engage said latch to actuate thereby said inechaiiisin into performance of its functions, a transverselyadjustable feeler-stand, and a side-slipping feeler-member mounted in connection with .1 lid stand with capacity to reciprocate in a fore-and-aft direction in a feeling action as well as to swing sidewise for indicating purposes, the combination with the said ele ments of a stationary bolt-guide, sliding bolt which controls the position of the latch vertically and which through sidewise slipping movement of the feeler-member is moved endwise relative to the bolt-guide, with consequent vertical movement of the latch into position to be engaged and ac tuated by the weft-hammer, and connecting means between the feeler-member and the bolt, connectible with said bolt at different points in the length of the latter to coinpensate for transverse shift of the feelerstand,

9. In mechanism comprising a latch connected withv change-calling mechanism of a loom, a weft-hammer adapted to engage said latch to actuate thereby said mechanism into perforn'iance of its functions, and fillingfeeler devices having a member which is actuated transversely on detection of filling depletion, the combination with the said elements of bolt-guiding means, a sliding bolt controlling the position of the latch vertically, shaped to provide through its endwise sliding movement for shift of the latch vertically, and moved endwise relative to the said bolt-guiding means, through the transverse actuation of the said member, to bring about engagement of the latch by the weft-hammer.

SIMEON S. JACKSON. 

